Search

Search Google Books

Events

Susan Philipsz’ new work White Flood (2019) presents footage and a re-recorded and expanded soundtrack from a rare 1940 film of the same title. Philipsz draws attention to the film as a remarkable time capsule, with its 1930s’ footage depicting enormous glaciers and collapsing icebergs filmed across Alaska. While White Flood was originally viewed as a ‘nature film’, at its heart is a warning that these extraordinary natural phenomena are at risk should the earth’s temperature rise or fall ‘even by a few degrees’: a remarkably prescient message.

In this Aspiring Conversations session at the 2019 Southern Lakes Festival of Colour, Major General Dave Gawn will speak about the day-to-day realities of peace-keeping in one of the most complex and enduring areas of conflict. He served two years as Head of Mission to the UN Truce Supervision Organization; since 1948, the organisation has worked between Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Anna Gawn was able to accompany her husband to cities where few outsiders go; her photographs show how ordinary people try to just keep on living as usual.

New Zealand appears to be slipping towards third world status when it comes to public health. The contamination of drinking water in Havelock North in 2016, sewage flowing through the streets of Middlemarch in 2018, the escalating obesity epidemic, our ongoing destructive relationship with alcohol – who’s looking out for our public health?

We’ve got a freshwater crisis on our hands. It appears we can’t have it all – clean water, high volume dairy farming, the 100% Pure brand that drives our tourism industry, along with equitable settlements of Treaty rights.